The invention relates to a device for radially compressing an elastic line for a flowing medium at a line point, comprising an insertion channel for insertion of a line section of the line, comprising a pressure element, which is displaceable transversely to the insertion channel, and a counterpart located opposite the pressure element on the insertion channel, both of which extend into the insertion channel, and comprising an actuator, which acts upon the pressure element for the displacement thereof.
By way of such a device, the volume flow of a liquid or gaseous medium, which is also referred to as a fluid, is throttled to the point of complete interruption by compressing or pinching a line point of an elastic line, e.g. a tube. Fluids that are used are, for example, water, aqueous solutions in the medical and food industries, oils, air, neutral gasses.
A known device of this type for interrupting the passage of a volume flow of the flowing medium, which is also known as a tube pinching valve, interrupts the flow of the flowing medium by clamping an elastic tube. To this end, the actuator comprises an electromagnet, the solenoid armature of which is fixedly connected to the pressure element pressing radially on the tube, and a compression spring applying a load to the pressure element. In one embodiment of the tube pinching valve that is closed in a currentless manner, the compression spring presses the pressure element onto the tube point, thereby completely compressing the tube. When current is applied to the electromagnet, the spring force of the compression spring is equalized, the pressure element releases the tube and the original inner cross section of the elastic tube is restored.